Kansas journalists now have additional legal
protection regarding confidential sources and unpublished material
under a law signed by Gov. Mark Parkinson.
The bill is among 13 the governor signed Thursday. It gives
journalists limited protection against being forced to identify
anonymous sources or disclose information they haven’t published or
broadcast.
A journalist could be forced to comply with a subpoena only if a
district court judge ruled that the party seeking the information
made a reasonable effort to obtain it some other way.
The Kansas Press Association was the primary supporter of the
bill. KPA executive director Doug Anstaett says the law will
encourage reporters and their sources to step forward to uncover
abuse and corruption in government.
